Old Nerak
<< Back to Conlangs Characteristics Old Nerak has had a lot of influence from Arishian languages, most notably fropm Handun. Phonology Consonants Vowels Vowels are: Morphology Nouns Dual number is used as a "paucal" number, that is, a plural expressing a small quantity. The cases used are the following: #Nominative (subject) #Accusative (direct object) #Genitive (possessive) #Dative (indirect object) #Locative #Ablative Many nouns have an irregular plural stem with the addition of a nasal consonant, as a result from contact with Arishian. Masculine Nouns | |} Feminine Nouns | |} Neuter Nouns | |} Adjectives Adjectives are declined exactly the same way as nouns. Each adjective inflects for gender, number and case. All adjectives have the same declension. Nekturian '-i'-class for adjectives is completely lost. Muppu, muppe, muppi "new", "young" | | |} Kumtu, kumte, kumti "great" | | |} Comparative Form Superiority The suffix '-ih-' is added to the stem of the adjective, resulting in a new adjective. Ex.: *'kumtu' "large", kumtihu "larger" *'muppu' "new", muppihu "newer" *'punnu' "good", punnihu "better" Equality Inferiority Superlative The suffix '-ass-' is added to the stem of the adjective, resulting in a new adjective. Ex.: *'kumtu' "large", kumtassu "the largest" *'muppu' "new", muppassu "the newest" *'punnu' "good", punnassu "the best" Pronouns Personal Although there are dual forms for all pronouns, plural forms are preferred. 1st and 2nd person pronouns have special forms, while the 3d person pronoun follows the regular noun endings. 1st and 2nd Person Pronuns | |} Possessive Possessive pronouns are declined like any other adjective. Demonstrative *'itu, -e, -i' "this" (very near) *'hizzu, -e, -i' "this" (not so near) *'kiru, -e, -i' "that" (far) *'hu, he, hi' "this", "that" and also "the" These follow the regular nominal declension. The form hu, he, hi is used in expressions like hi titeti "the (capital) city", hi buwfihi "the beautiful (things)" = "beauty", hu pudu "the strong one", hi tisiti "that (what was) said". Interrogative *'kiyu' "what" *'kanu' "who" *'gahru' "which" *'gunen' "how" *'hutar' "where" *'gahur' "when" Relative *'kiyu' "that" *'kanu' "who" Indefinite *'hakannu' "some", "any" *'mamihannu' "no", "none" *'duttu' "all", "every" *'kettu' "each", "every" Numbers Cardinal Numbers *0 talu *1 hannu, -e, -i *2 tugit *3 dates *4 gahda *5 tugu *6 zites *7 tadi *8 uhidu *9 mupi *10 tates *11 hantates *12 tugitates *13 datetates *14 gahdatates *15 tugutates *16 zitates *17 taditates *18 uhitates *19 mupitates *20 pudi *21 pudi hannu *30 lude *40 gahlude *50 timgahude *60 zitude *70 tadude *80 uhidude *90 mupude *100 tanu Ordinal Numbers Ordinal numbers are regular adjectives. *1 banilu, -e, -i *2 tikudu, -e, -i *3 datilu, -e, -i *4 gahadu, -e, -i *5 tugudu, -e, -i *6 zitu, -e, -i *7 tadinu, -e, -i *8 uhideppu, -e, -i *9 mupimmu, -e, -i *10 tatinu, -e, -i Conjunctions Coordinating *'kaye' "for" *'ma' "and" *'ha' "nor" *'nez', bulu "but" *'uha' "or" *'ihut' "yet" *'etina' "so" Correlative *'hupuz ... ma ... ' "both ... and ... " *'uha ... uha ... ' "either ... or ... " *'ha ... ha ... ' "neither ... nor ... " *'mu ... bulu ... ' "not ... but ... " *'metu ... dupu ... ' "not only ... but also ... " Subordinating *'tibi' "after" *'guda' "although" *'ti' "if" *'itat' "unless" *'kiyuk' "so that" *'badut' "therefore" *'hebbisa' "in spite of", "despite" *'kaye' "because" Verbs Nerak verb system has been considerably simplified in comparison with Nekturian. As a consequence, there are some verb tenses that share the same form: *Active Indicative Aorist and Active Passive Pluperfect *Active Conditional Past Continuous and Active Conditional Future This places no problem as, from these, only the Active Indicative Aorist tense is actually used, the others being found only in very rare occasions. Concepts With the change from ê''' to '''i, one of the thematic vowels was lost. in Nerak there are verbs in '-i' and verbs in '-e'. Sample Conjugation: Piti "see" Here is the full conjugation of the verb pit-i "see". For other verbs, just change the root (in this case, pit-''') and the thematic vowel (-i''' in this case). Active Voice Indicative =Present = =Present Continuous = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Past Continuous = =Future = =Future Perfect = =Future Continuous = Subjunctive =Present = =Present Continuous = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Past Continuous = =Future = =Future Perfect = =Future Continuous = Conditional =Present = =Present Continuous = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Past Continuous = =Future = =Future Perfect = =Future Continuous = Participle =Present = *'pit-i-udu' =Present Continuous = *'pit-i-utu' =Perfective = *'pit-i-tu' =Aorist = *'pit-i-zdu' =Imperfective = *'pit-i-ttu' =Pluperfect = *'pit-i-lannu' =Past Continuous = *'pit-i-tannu' =Future = *'pit-i-dalu' =Future Perfect = *'pit-i-lettu' =Future Continuous = *'pit-i-lennu' Imperative Passive Voice Indicative =Present = =Present Continuous = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Past Continuous = =Future = =Future Perfect = =Future Continuous = Subjunctive =Present = =Present Continuous = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Past Continuous = =Future = =Future Perfect = =Future Continuous = Conditional =Present = =Present Continuous = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Past Continuous = =Future = =Future Perfect = =Future Continuous = Participle =Present = *'pit-i-yeu' =Present Continuous = *'pit-i-uteyu' =Perfective = *'pit-i-teyu' =Aorist = *'pit-i-zdeyu' =Imperfective = *'pit-i-tteyu' =Pluperfect = *'pit-i-layu' =Past Continuous = *'pit-i-tayu' =Future = *'pit-i-dayu' =Future Perfect = *'pit-i-lteyu' =Future Continuous = *'pit-i-lneyu' Imperative Vocabulary *Swadesh List: Here we give the Swadesh List for Center-West Nekturian. Sample *"Duttutes unnutes metiyan riplutes, tikimtetum ma tiliduka. Raxutes dimiga lesu ma guzihuzu, ma tipiga eshi hannu uhalluk izbilidum hanutetik." **''("All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.")''